A friend asked me the other day what I thought about aging gracefully. She wondered why we couldn’t stay 25 forever.

I laughed and asked why the hell would I want to be 25 again? Why would I willingly want to wallow around in all that insecurity, stupidity, and immaturity again?

Um, no.

Hell no. You couldn’t pay me enough money in the world to be 25 again.

But to look 25 again?

Yeah. Sign me up. On the double.

I mean, I want to live forever, so this face has to last a long time.

Twenty-five was tough, but it was just the first bump in the road to greatness.

I flew past that milestone and then jumped right into 40 as gracefully as a robin landing on the high-line wire next to a squirrel.

Next was 50, and then 55, and now, 59, when my body fell apart. But not to worry, I have good doctors who put me back together, so maybe I will live forever.

“Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.” Coco Chanel

Why do women worry about aging? Why do we care? Do we accept society’s definition of beauty?

Is time wearing on our shoulders?

Are we letting other women (gasp! younger women?) judge the lines on our faces or the years on our bones?

Are we waiting on a man to determine our self-worth?

Why would we consider anyone else’s opinion about us?

The only opinion that matters is our opinion.

It begins and ends with us.

We have the power to feel time in whatever way we’d like, so knock that shit off right now, ladies.

Let no one determine your age, your worth, your power, or your dreams.

It’s up to you, my loves.

“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” Sophia Loren

Did you know that Vera Wang was 40 when she went out on her own to design wedding dresses?

And that Betty White caught her biggest acting break at age 51?

Grandma Moses did not start painting until she was 70-years old?

Laura Ingalls Wilder was 65 when she published “Little House in the Big Woods?”

Marie Wilson organized Take Your Daughter To Work Day when she was close to 60?

Julia Child released her first cookbook when she was 50?

The world is ours.

There’s no better time to be a woman than right now.

Right now.

So do it!

Run, don’t walk!

Do all the damn things your heart wants.

All of them! Hurry!

“I live life in the margins of society, and the rules of normal society don’t apply to those who live on the fringe.” — Tamara de Lempicka

Don’t waste one more minute doubting yourself or your abilities.

Confidence is sexy, my friend. Own it. It’s all yours.

Show the world.

Teach the world.

Don’t wait, my loves.

Do it now. Eat the cake. Drink the wine. Change careers. Leave the man. Leave the woman. Go back to school. Take the trip. Lift the weights. Change your hair. Build the house. Paint the picture. Write the book. Move to another state. Move to another country. Explore the world. Fly the plane. Race the race. Adopt the baby.

Do all the things, and do them now.

Time is short and it’s moving faster every day.

Go!

“The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your age.” — Lucille Ball

LOL, in researching this article, I popped “women who accomplished a lot after 50” into a search engine. A few of the top results: “How to Deal with a Sexless Marriage,” “Erection Changes After 50,” and “4 Major Changes in Men After Turning 50.”

It is indeed a man’s world out there, girls.

But it’s still ours for the taking.

“Your 40s are good. Your 50s are great. Your 60s are fab. And 70 is f*@king awesome!” Helen Mirren

I originally posted this piece here. After a few modifications, I thought I should share it again.